Beijing has always been taking pride in its ancient siheyuan buildings (or courtyard houses) until today when it meets the dilemma in protecting the remained courtyards--3,000 in total. During the most prosperous period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 40,000 courtyards could be found in Beijing.

In a bid to protect the city's antique architecture, Beijing's municipal authorities recently conducted a survey of the existing courtyards, and later published their findings in the "Annals of Courtyards in Beijing."

Results found that most courtyards desperately need maintenance works and look rather shabby as they have been densely inhabited, whereas others, which have been modified for commercial purposes, lack the original atmosphere because residents moved out. According to the annals, many former courtyards have in modern times been reduced to troublesome separate tenements.

As is agreed by all that protecting antique courtyards deserves priority, how the actual preservation should be carried out still remains a disputable issue. A number of architectural scholars have shown the acceptance of private funding in the renovation of courtyards when government funds cannot cover all expenses.

In 2008, Beijing made a failed attempt to renovate a batch of courtyards by using traditional materials, because those houses, even after renovation, still could not meet the people's demands of energy-saving, temperature moderation and lightening.

The former residence of painter Qi Baishi vividly shows something unpleasant. The government-funded renovation has turned it into a memorial hall, with the walls freshly painted and trees neatly trimmed. Renovation work does make the courtyard look nice, but not in the way an antique courtyard should actually look like.

Indeed, the place was "more beautiful" with rooms decorated with objects familiar in a courtyard family of the old-time Chinese capital. But after innovation, it turns out to be something not real and will never help you go back to the past beautiful memory.

Now the sad truth facing Beijing is that the original flavor of these courtyard houses can never be found again.